The present invention relates to data processing, and more specifically, to an integrated switch for dynamic orchestration of traffic.
Data centers are generally centralized facilities that provide Internet and intranet services needed to support businesses and organizations. A typical data center can house various types of electronic equipment, such as computers, servers (e.g., email servers, proxy servers, and DNS servers), switches, routers, data storage devices, and other associated components. In addition, data centers typically deploy network security components, such as firewalls, VPN (virtual private network) gateways, and intrusion detection systems.
In traditional networking, routers and switch devices usually refer to a MAC (Media Access Control) address, to a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) identifier, or to zoning information within a given packet to forward that packet. The source and destination of a data packet are typically coded onto the packet. The packet may be received through an ingress switch that reads the embedded destination information and routes the packet to a server. The server may process the packet according to whatever application the packet is associated with and forward the packet to an egress switch and ultimately to its pre-coded destination.